Radiographic image capturing system and bioptic method using radiographic image capturing system

Abstract

A mammographic system which carries out a bioptic method for inserting a bioptic needle into a breast to sample a tissue from a bioptic region includes a display unit for displaying second stereoscopic images acquired by applying a radiation to the breast while the bioptic needle is being inserted in the breast, an indicating unit for indicating a pointed end of the bioptic needle and the bioptic region in each of the second stereoscopic images, a bioptic needle position calculator for calculating a three-dimensional coordinate position of the pointed end of the bioptic needle which is indicated, a bioptic region position calculator for calculating a three-dimensional coordinate position of the bioptic region which is indicated, and an angle calculator for calculating a direction of the calculated bioptic region with respect to the calculated pointed end of the bioptic needle and displaying the calculated direction on the display unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A radiographic image capturing system comprising:
 a bioptic needle to be inserted into an object to be examined for sampling a tissue from a bioptic region of the object through an opening of the bioptic needle; 
 a display configured to display stereoscopic images acquired by applying a radiation to the object while the bioptic needle is being inserted in the object; 
 a console connected to the display; and 
 a pointing device indicating at least a first indicating signal displayed on the display indicating a feature point of the bioptic needle in each of the stereoscopic images displayed on the display and a second indication signal displayed on the display indicating the bioptic region in each of the stereoscopic images displayed on the display unit, said first and second indicating signals being input by a user; 
 wherein the console includes: 
 a bioptic needle position calculator configured to calculate a three-dimensional coordinate position of the feature point of the bioptic needle, based on the first indication signal; 
 a bioptic region position calculator configured to calculate a three-dimensional coordinate position of the bioptic region, based on the second indication signal; 
 a direction processor configured to calculate a direction of the three-dimensional coordinate position of the bioptic region with respect to the three-dimensional coordinate position of the feature point of the bioptic needle, based on the three-dimensional coordinate position of the feature point of the bioptic needle calculated by the bioptic needle position calculator and the three-dimensional coordinate position of the bioptic region calculated by the bioptic region position calculator; and 
 an output device comprising at least one of an audible device and the display, configured to announce the direction calculated by the direction calculator. 
 
     
     
       2. The radiographic image capturing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the console further comprises:
 a distance calculator configured to calculate a distance represented by the length of a line segment which interconnects the three-dimensional coordinate position of the feature point of the bioptic needle and the three-dimensional coordinate position of the bioptic region, as projected onto a plane lying perpendicularly to an inserting direction along which the bioptic needle is inserted in the object; 
 wherein the output device announces the distance calculated by the distance calculator. 
 
     
     
       3. The radiographic image capturing system according to  claim 2 , wherein the console further comprises:
 a decision processor configured to determine whether the three-dimensional coordinate position of the bioptic region is within an opening range of the opening of the bioptic needle or not in the inserting direction, based on an operation request from the user; 
 wherein the output device announces a decision made by the decision processor if the decision processor judges that the three-dimensional coordinate position of the bioptic region falls outside of the opening range. 
 
     
     
       4. The radiographic image capturing system according to  claim 3 , wherein the console further comprises an opening position calculator configured to calculate a position of the opening of the bioptic needle based on the three-dimensional coordinate position of the feature point of the bioptic needle. 
     
     
       5. The radiographic image capturing system according to  claim 4 , further comprising a user interface configured to receive an input of a third indication signal representing the inserting direction along which the bioptic needle is inserted in the object,
 wherein the opening position calculator calculates the position of the opening of the bioptic needle based on the third indication signal. 
 
     
     
       6. The radiographic image capturing system according to  claim 3 , further comprising a display driver configured to control the display to display the direction calculated by the direction calculator, the distance calculated by the distance calculator, and the decision made by the decision processor. 
     
     
       7. The radiographic image capturing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the console further comprises a mode setting processor setting a bioptic needle indicating mode for inputting the first indication signal and a bioptic region indicating mode for inputting the second indication signal. 
     
     
       8. A bioptic method inserting a bioptic needle into an object to be examined and sampling a tissue from a bioptic region of the object through an opening of the bioptic needle, comprising:
 a displaying step of operating a console to display on a display stereoscopic images acquired by applying a radiation to the object while the bioptic needle is being inserted in the object; 
 a first indication signal inputting step of operating a pointing device to input a first indication signal on the display indicating a feature point of the bioptic needle in each of the stereoscopic images displayed on the display, said first indication signal provided by user input; 
 a second indication signal inputting step of operating the pointing device to input, based on an operation request from a user, a second indication signal on the display indicating the bioptic region in each of the stereoscopic images displayed on the display said second indication signal provided by user input; 
 a bioptic needle position calculating step of calculating, with a bioptic needle position calculator, a three-dimensional coordinate position of the feature point of the bioptic needle based on the first indication signal; 
 a bioptic region position calculating step of calculating, with a bioptic region position calculator, a three-dimensional coordinate position of the bioptic region based on the second indication signal; 
 a direction calculating step of calculating, with a direction calculator, a direction of the three-dimensional coordinate position of the bioptic region with respect to the three-dimensional coordinate position of the feature point of the bioptic needle, based on the three-dimensional coordinate position of the feature point of the bioptic needle calculated in the bioptic needle position calculating step and the three-dimensional coordinate position of the bioptic region calculated in the bioptic region position calculating step; and 
 an announcing step of announcing, with an output device comprising at least one of an audible device and the display, the direction calculated in the direction calculating step.